Templates again... Have you used them? In my current project we've used data structure and algorithm templates from the QTL (similar to STL) instead of inventing our own buggy versions.
Then we've used templates to stream arbitrary data-types into an IPC socket.
Finally, we've also used templates to create a generic repository class and to create a specialized compare function for multiple types of containers.
All of these resulted in lesser lines of code without complicating the code base. This kind of template code is nothing fancy and brings real benefits.
Now it's your turn to tell me how templates have complicated your projects. Please use real-world examples.
By the way, we're not all true C++ experts in the team and yes, some of us prefer different coding styles. You know what we did? At the beginning we created a coding guidelines/standards document that outlines what is acceptable to use in the project. Problem solved. What you describe - "can't all necessarily read and understand each others' code" - is a dysfunctional team and a management failure.
"it should'be be between C and C++ only"
Ok, we can compare Python + C++ with Python + C, but C++ wins there too. e.g: PyQt/PySide.
Not much and I have nothing against templates. Just used them as an example of C++ features. It could have been any one of: RTTI, nested classes, smart pointers, the rules of inheritance and access control, friends, exceptions, operator overloading, streams and so on. All of this is well described but in about 1000 pages in Stroustrup's book.
> At the beginning we created a coding guidelines/standards document that outlines what is acceptable to use in the project. Problem solved.
Well that was actually one of my points. If you need a 50 page language style guide, then I would argue there is something wrong with the language. The whole K&R book is just a couple of hundred pages.
That is why I would believe someone who says "I know C" vs someone who says "I know C++".
I guess I just don't see the advantage of learning the "++" part of C++ vis-a-vis the resulting increase in readability/productivity.
> Ok, we can compare Python + C++ with Python + C, but C++ wins there too. e.g: PyQt/PySide.
Well, maybe. Most Python extensions are still written in C. Python itself has a native C API. There is the ctypes library. For every Python & C++ library integration there are hundreds of Python modules with their performance critical parts written in C. The reason PySide is so nice is because they were able to hide the C++ part very well behind Python. It is certainly a development success story, but what I had in mind was the process of implementing the prototype in Python, then finding the performance critical parts and re-writing them in C.
Then we've used templates to stream arbitrary data-types into an IPC socket.
Finally, we've also used templates to create a generic repository class and to create a specialized compare function for multiple types of containers.
All of these resulted in lesser lines of code without complicating the code base. This kind of template code is nothing fancy and brings real benefits. Now it's your turn to tell me how templates have complicated your projects. Please use real-world examples.
By the way, we're not all true C++ experts in the team and yes, some of us prefer different coding styles. You know what we did? At the beginning we created a coding guidelines/standards document that outlines what is acceptable to use in the project. Problem solved. What you describe - "can't all necessarily read and understand each others' code" - is a dysfunctional team and a management failure.
"it should'be be between C and C++ only"
Ok, we can compare Python + C++ with Python + C, but C++ wins there too. e.g: PyQt/PySide.